Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams

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written by Adam Feil and Jose P. Mestre

This study used a recognition memory test and specially constructed pairs of physics diagrams to measure differences between physics experts and novices (who have not taken college physics) in the way simple physics diagrams are encoded in memory. Results show that although physics experts encode aspects and features of physics diagrams that novices do not, in some specific cases novices encode features that experts do not. Physics experts were more likely to encode features of diagrams that were more relevant to the physics depicted. This suggests that the knowledge and experience of physics experts influences the way in which they conceptualize physics diagrams, even in the absence of a question prompt.

Physics Education Research Conference 2007
Part of the PER Conference series
Greensboro, NC: August 1-2, 2007
Volume 951, Pages 100-103

download 181kb .pdf
Published: November 12, 2007

Subjects	Levels	Resource Types
Education - Basic Research - Cognition = Cognition Development - Communication = Representations	- Lower Undergraduate - Graduate/Professional	- Reference Material = Research study

PER-Central Type	Intended Users	Ratings
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Format:: application/pdf
Mirror:: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2820905
Access Rights:: Limited free access and
Available by subscription and
Available for purchase
Restriction:: © 2007 2007 American Institute of Physics.
DOI:: 10.1063/1.2820905
PACS:: 01.40.Fk 01.40.Ha
Keywords:: PERC 2007, diagrams, education, experts and novices, learning by example, physics, recognition memory test
Record Cloner:: Metadata instance created June 8, 2009 by Jenny Rempel
Record Updated:: July 16, 2013 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update when Cataloged:: November 12, 2007

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Record Link

<a href="https://www.per-central.org/items/detail.cfm?ID=9070">Feil, Adam, and Jose P. Mestre. "Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, August 1-2, 2007.</a>

AIP Format

A. Feil and J. Mestre, , presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, 2007, WWW Document, (https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987).

AJP/PRST-PER

A. Feil and J. Mestre, Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams, presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, 2007, <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987>.

APA Format

Feil, A., & Mestre, J. (2007, August 1-2). Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams. Paper presented at Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC. Retrieved May 17, 2025, from https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987

Chicago Format

Feil, Adam, and Jose P. Mestre. "Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams." Paper presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2007, Greensboro, NC, August 1-2, 2007. https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987 (accessed 17 May 2025).

MLA Format

Feil, Adam, and Jose P. Mestre. "Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams." Physics Education Research Conference 2007. Greensboro, NC: 2007. 100-103 Vol. 951 of PER Conference. 17 May 2025 <https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987>.

BibTeX Export Format

@inproceedings{ Author = "Adam Feil and Jose P. Mestre", Title = {Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams}, BookTitle = {Physics Education Research Conference 2007}, Pages = {100-103}, Address = {Greensboro, NC}, Series = {PER Conference}, Volume = {951}, Month = {August 1-2}, Year = {2007} }

Refer Export Format

%A Adam Feil %A Jose P. Mestre %T Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams %S PER Conference %V 951 %D August 1-2 2007 %P 100-103 %C Greensboro, NC %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987 %O Physics Education Research Conference 2007 %O August 1-2 %O application/pdf

EndNote Export Format

%0 Conference Proceedings %A Feil, Adam %A Mestre, Jose P. %D August 1-2 2007 %T Expert-Novice Differences on a Recognition Memory Test of Physics Diagrams %B Physics Education Research Conference 2007 %C Greensboro, NC %V 951 %P 100-103 %S PER Conference %8 August 1-2 %U https://www.compadre.org/Repository/document/ServeFile.cfm?ID=9070&DocID=1987

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